A variety of fishing boats have trolling motors which are controlled by a control pedal to allow a fisherman the free use of his or her hands. Such boats also desirably have a seat structure, such as a chair, for use by the fisherman both for safety and comfort. In the past there have been numerous proposals for supporting apparatus used to mount the trolling motor control pedal and chair for movement together, or independently of each other, in order to provide comfort, ease of control, and versatility of user movement, While such proposals have often been able to accomplish the desired end results, usually the strucures for accomplishing the desired results are complex and/or expensive. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,500 shows a proposal in which a control pedal for a trolling motor and a chair are mounted for movement together, both rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to a boat deck, and the chair also rotatable about a second vertical axis with respect to the control pedal. However the structure used to mount the chair and control pedal is large and expensive, and the structure is moved to various positions, and maintained in those positions, by a motorized gear box.
According to the present invention, apparatus is provided which provides for positive mounting of the position of a control pedal with respect to a fisherman's chair, allows both of them to be manually rotated about a vertical axis provided in the boat deck of a bass boat or the like, allows rotation of the chair with respect to the control pedal, and retards movement of the control pedal and chair support from a position to which it has been moved --just like in the sophisticated, complex and expensive prior art proposals--yet in a simple and inexpensive manner. This is primarily accomplished according to the invention by providing a support structure in the form of a simple substantially planar plate, having a non-skid material on the bottom surface thereof underneath a portion of the plate supporting a chair pedestal or post. The control pedal is also simply mounted in the plate at an end thereof opposite the chair pedestal mount, and a smiple downwardly extending shaft supports the plate for rotation about a first vertical axis with respect to the boat deck.
According to one aspect of the present invention, apparatus facilitating control of a trolling motor is provided comprising the following elements: A support struture having a top surface and a bottom surface, and first and second ends spaced from each other. Means for mounting the support structure for rotation about an axis, the mounting means extending outwardly from the bottom surface of the support structure between the first and second ends thereof. Means for mounting a trolling motor control pedal adjacent the first end of the support structure on the top surface of the support structure. Means for mounting a seat structure adjacent the second end of the support structure on the top surface of the support structure; and support structure movement-retarding means mounted on the bottom surface of the support structure adjacent the second end thereof, and below the seat structure mounting means to resist movement of the support structure to a position to which it has been moved if the movement-retarding means engages a boat deck surface beneath it. The support structure preferably comprises a substantially planar plate, the movement-retarding means a rubberized non-skid material adhesively secured to the bottom surface of the plate beneath the seat support, the seat suport comprises a sleeve for receiving a pedestal or post extending upwardly from the top surface of the plate, the rotation mounting means comprises a shaft and spacer washer mounted to and extending downwardly from the bottom of the plate, and the pedal-receiving means comprises surface manifestations (such as one or more apertures formed by upturning flanges from the surface of the plate) which engage a pedal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a simple apparatus--which can be used in association with bass boats or the like--is provided which has the following elements: a substantially planar plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a first end, and a second end. A sleeve connected to the plate top surface adjacent the second end thereof and extending upwardly from the top surface; and a shaft connected to the bottom surface of the plate roughly intermediate the first and second ends of the plate, and extending downardly from the bottom of the plate. The apparatus also preferably comprises a non-skid material connected to the plate bottom surface beneath the sleeve; and surface manifestations formed in the plate adjacent the first end thereof, and including at least one aperture in the plate or flange upstanding from the plate.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fishing boat seat and trolling motor control pedal support structure assembly mounted in a fishing boat having a boat deck, trolling motor control pedal, and a trolling motor. The support structure assembly comprises: A support struture having a top surface and a bottom surface, and first and second ends spaced from each other. Means for mounting the support structure to the boat deck for rotation about a first substantially vertical axis, the mounting means extending outwardly from the bottom surface of the support structure between the first and second ends thereof into or through the boat deck. Means for mounting the trolling motor control pedal adjacent the first end of the support structure on the top surface of the support structure. A seat structure including a pedestal or post. Means for mounting the seat structure pedestal or post adjacent the second end of the support structure on the top surface of the support structure extending so that the seat structure is mounted above the boat deck, and so that the seat structure is rotatable about a second substantially vertical axis, spaced from the first axis, with respect to the support structure; and support structure movement-retarding means mounted on the bottom surface of the support structure adjacent the second end thereof, and below the seat structure mounting means to resist movement of the support structure to a position to which it has been moved if the movement-retarding means engages the boat deck beneath it. The support structure preferably comprises a substantially planar plate and the movement-retarding means preferably comprises rubberized non-skid material secured to the bottom surface of the support plate just above the boat deck, so that the weight of a human sitting on the seat structure causes the material to come in contact with the boat deck.
It is the primary object of the pesent invention to provide a simple yet versatile and effective mechanism providing fisherman comfort, safety, and optimum control in fishing using fishing boats with trolling motors. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.